


Still A Kid, Even Though I'm Colder

by matteblackbats



Category: Cobra Starship, Fall Out Boy, Midtown (Band), My Chemical Romance
Genre: (not between the main characters dw), Blood, Blowjobs, Copious Cher References, Double Penetration, M/M, Oral Sex, Star Wars References, Threesomes, Vampires, Violence, brief angst, brief description of domestic violence, like so much blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:42:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26035861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matteblackbats/pseuds/matteblackbats
Summary: “Gerard” Mikey says shakily, turning to his brother, who was busing himself with cleaning the blood off of the toilet seat. “Gee. I. I think. I think that I might have gotten turned into a vampire.”
Relationships: Gabe Saporta/Mikey Way, Gabe Saporta/Mikey Way/Pete Wentz, Gabe Saporta/Pete Wentz, Mikey Way/Pete Wentz
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	Still A Kid, Even Though I'm Colder

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from One Day, Robots Will Cry by Cobra Starship

Mikey wakes up sore. It’s not an uncommon thing for him, the mornings after a show he’s always sore from being jostled in the pit, groped by strangers and fighting off burly dudes with his sharp elbows. This though, is a different kind of sore. He’s got a bone deep ache all over, resting in the small of his back and oddly, his chest cavity. He’s also fucking thirsty. It’s different from normal hangover thirst, he thinks. It’s a thirst that’s making his throat burn and his stomach ache. He shifts around and groans, cracking open his eyes. The room is stupidly bright, and his head is pounding. Gerard is kneeling next to the bed - his bed, actually, staring at Mikey with wide eyes, full of a weird mix of relief and fear. 

“Oh thank fuck” Gerard breathes out, grabbing Mikey by the shoulders and pulling him into a tight hug. “I thought you were a total goner, Mikes. I really did.”

Mikey can hear a weird sloshing noise from where his head is pressed against the side of Gerard’s face. He smells something too- not Gerard’s girly shampoo or his deodorant, but something else. It smells like nothing Mikey has ever smelled before, close to warm vanilla and cinnamon chocolate. His stomach cramps at the smell, and suddenly Mikey is aware of how hungry he is, too. He tries to push that out of his mind, pulling back from Gerard instead to look him in the eye. “Why?” He asks. “Why am I in the basement? Why is it so bright? And why did you think I was a goner? What happened last night?”

Gerard gawks at him. “You stumbled in at four in the morning, and you were covered in blood. You came down here and woke me up. You scared the shit out of me, you weren’t even able to talk that coherently. From what I understood, you got jumped. Do you not remember?” Mikey doesn’t, he opens his mouth to say so, but Gerard keeps talking. “And It’s not that bright, Mikes. The light isn’t even on. The bathroom light is, but the door isn’t even fully open.” Mikey blinks at him, and looks up at the ceiling. Gerard’s telling the truth - the overhead light is off, along with the lamp next to Gerard’s bed. The room should be dim, but Mikey can see everything like there was a stage light in the room. His stomach cramps again, and all of a sudden he feels like he’s gonna puke. Mikey stands up fast, crossing the room before yanking open the bathroom door, ignoring how the lights above the mirror burn his eyes. He kneels over the toilet, and vomits. It’s not the gross, acidic yellow bile that Mikey has come to associate with a particularly bad hangover, though. It’s blood. A lot of it. It turns the water in the bowl a dark red, and splatters against the seat, stark against the bright white of the porcelain. Mikey closes his eyes against the light, presses his cheek to the seat, terrified, and feebly calls Gerard’s name.

“Holy shit.” Gerard exclaims as he shuffles in. “Oh, holy fuck, Mikes. Thats a lot of fucking blood. And you’re so pale, what the fuck? What happened to you?” Mikey opens his eyes to look at his brother, and flinches at the brightness of the lights. Gerard takes a step back when he does, actually able to see Mikey fully in the light of the bathroom. “Holy shit” He says again, while moving forward to flush the toilet. “What the fuck happened to your eyes? What in hell happened to you?”

Mikey groans as Gerard helps him to the sink, and it's only then that he sees what Gerard is talking about. He’s wearing last night’s clothes still, rumpled and covered in what he assumes is his own dried blood, and his once carefully styled hair looks like a bird’s nest. He’s also white as a sheet, save the leftover blood staining his lips crimson. His pupils are huge, taking up all but a sliver of his iris, making his eyes look completely black. His mouth still tastes like his own blood, and it makes him gag. He grabs a toothbrush out of the holder by the sink and opens his mouth to brush his teeth, and that's when he sees them.

His canine teeth, once normal if a little small, are now huge. They’re long, with a wicked curve into a sharp point that almost gleams in the bathroom light. He presses the pad of his index finger against one, and immediately the tip of his tooth stabs a hole through it. He hisses at the pain, and pulls his finger back to look at the wound. There's no blood coming out of it. Mikey blinks at his finger, and then watches as the hole knits itself together before his eyes. Thirty seconds later, it’s healed, like the hole was never there in the first place. Mikey gapes at his hand for a second, before something in his mind clicks into place.

“Gerard” He says shakily, turning to his brother, who was busing himself with cleaning the blood off of the toilet seat. “Gee. I. I think. I think that I might have gotten turned into a vampire.” Gerard’s head snaps up at that, and Mikey opens his mouth to let Gerard see his teeth - no - his fangs. Gerard presses his back to the wall, trying not to cower. It makes Mikey upset, seeing Gerard like that, because of him, so he closes his mouth. Gerard’s shoulders relax minutely, but he stays pressed against the wall.

“Holy shit” Gerard says in a small voice. “You’re a vampire. God. I always thought it would be me, to be honest.” Mikey snorts at that because, yeah, he did too. “But you’re not, you’re not gonna try and like, feed on me or something right? Because it would be really fucked up if you got to be a vampire but I was dead.”

“I don’t know” Mikey responds, because honestly, he doesn’t. “I don’t think so, though. I’m super hungry, but it feels wrong, somehow, eating you. I can smell you though. Or like, I can smell your blood, I guess. It smells kind of like the horchata from that Mexican place downtown.”

“That’s not super comforting,” Gerard responds. “But I guess that’ll have to do. You said you won’t eat me, so I’m gonna believe you won't eat me.” He gives Mikey a shaky smile and pushes himself off the wall to walk back into his room. “C’mon” He says, gesturing for Mikey to follow him. All of a sudden, their doorbell rings. Both of their parents are at work right now, so neither of them know who’s at the door. Gerard’s eyes go wide. “Stay right here,” He whispers, before bounding up the stairs to answer the door. Mikey does as he’s told.

Mikey can hear everything Gerard is doing upstairs, now. It’s weird. He listens as Gerard opens the door, the rubber liner scraping against the linoleum of their kitchen floor. 

“Can I help you?” He hears Gerard say.

“Where is your father?” The person at the door responds. Mikey knows his voice. His name is Ken, he lives a few houses down from them, and he’s an asshole. His wife is about 15 years younger than him, and Mikey always feels sorry for her whenever he sees them out. She’s usually got a sickly yellow bruise healing on her face, or scabbed over scratches down her chest. Ken is not a nice man. It surprises Mikey that he’s at their door, but also scares him - Gerard could be in danger. He creeps up the staircase, cracking the door open slightly to watch them interact. The kitchen is dark, save for the sunlight pooling in the doorway from where it’s open. The sight of the sun makes Mikey flinch, his instinct telling him to go back down to the basement, where it's safe. He doesn’t though - he needs to make sure Gerard is okay. 

“Dad's at work.” Gerard says. “Is there something I can help you with?”

Ken grunts. “You tell him, and the rest of your fucking family too, that if your goddamn dog doesn’t stop shitting in my yard, I’m gonna come over here and bash all of your no-good heads in.” 

Gerard blinks at him for a moment, stunned. “I’m sorry,” He says, his voice strong despite how badly his hands are shaking. “We don’t have a dog.”

Ken cocks his head, before stepping inside and grabbing Gerard by the collar, slamming the door shut behind him. “You’re calling me a liar!” He yells in Gerard’s face. “I’m not fond of people calling me a liar.” Mikey can hear how fast Gerard’s heart is beating now. “I’ll show you what happens to people who call me a liar.” He raises his fist to hit Gerard, but he never gets the chance to swing.

Mikey slinks out from behind the basement door, moving fast through the kitchen, tackling Ken to the ground, letting Gerard escape to hide behind the end of the counter. It stuns Mikey for a second, Ken isn’t a small man, and Mikey never really was the strongest. He shakes it off, and sinks his fangs into Ken’s neck. Ken screams, trying to buck Mikey off, but Mikey has a vice grip on his arms, and isn’t planning on letting Ken go until he’s full. The taste is borderline euphoric. It’s like cinnamon and vanilla, sweet and warm, and Mikey drinks until Ken stops struggling. It’s easier then, without all the fuss, and he keeps drinking, reveling in the taste, in the way it makes his head stop pounding and his throat stop burning. He finally pulls off of Ken’s neck when the blood stops flowing. It’s not as messy as it is in the movies, no spray, no blood running down Mikey’s chin. Mikey licks his teeth clean as he stands up and surveys the scene in front of him. The only gore really are the two holes in Ken’s neck, both leaking the couple drops of blood left in his body. Ken’s eyes are open and glassy, and Mikey can’t hear his heartbeat. Fuck.

“Mikey” Gerard says softly as he sticks his head out from his spot behind the counter, his voice trembling. “Did you kill him? Is he dead?”

Mikey kicks his foot out, catching Ken in the side. When Ken doesn’t react, Mikey turns to look at Gerard. “Yeah.” Mikey whispers, a little horrified at himself. “Yeah. He’s dead.” 

“Oh thank God” Gerard says, standing up and coming out from behind the counter. “I thought he was gonna kill me. You saved my life, Mikes.” Mikey looks up from Ken’s body to see Gerard staring at him. When Gerard sees Mikey looking at him, his face cracks into a wide smile. “Hey! Your eyes are normal again!” 

“That’s a plus, I guess. What are we gonna do with him?” Mikey questions, gesturing to Ken’s body. “We can’t just leave him here.”

Gerard turns and runs down into the basement, coming back up a moment later with an empty storage container in tow. “Here. Help me stuff him in here. We can stick it in the back of my car and take it to the big dump after Mom and Dad go to sleep tonight. They’re always finding bodies there, no one will think twice. He was an asshole anyways, so they’ll probably assume he got in bad with the mob or something if they find him.” Mikey can’t argue with that. He bends down and picks up the body, folding it in half and feeling a few bones snap as he shoves Ken’s knees to his face as he stuffs his corpse in the container. Gerard snaps the lid on, and stares at Mikey. “You’ve got like, superman strength now! That's awesome, dude!” Mikey shrugs, not really sure if being undead is a fair tradeoff for being able to pick up heavy stuff. “C'mon,” Gerard says, opening the door to the garage. “Help me put him in the car.” Mikey hefts the container up, walking into the garage with it while Gerard opens the back left door to his car. Mikey slides it into the backseat of Gerard’s shitty hatchback, and Gerard pushes the door shut. “Well,” Gerard sighs, as they make their way back inside, Gerard flopping down onto the couch as Mikey locks the garage door and the front too, just to be safe. “It’s nice that there's no blood evidence to worry about. New Hope or Empire?” He says to Mikey, wiggling the remote.

“Empire” Mikey says, sitting down close to Gerard. He can hear Gerard’s blood rushing in his veins. It’s a weird sound, but soon enough, he’s caught up in the attack on Hoth, and he’s able to tune it out. It helps that he’s not so thirsty anymore too. 

Dinner is an uneventful affair. The Way’s were never a family that sat down at a specific time to eat together, and for that Mikey is grateful. Neither of their parents question why the two of them are awake after they decide to turn in for the night, as Gerard had been nearly nocturnal since his early teens, and Mikey often stayed up to keep him company. Once their parents click their bedroom door shut, Gerard gets to his feet.

“C’mon” He motions at Mikey. “I don’t want him to start to stink in my car.”

They pull out of their driveway, and head east. It’s a balmy summer night, cicadas buzzing in the trees. Mikey can see everything like it’s the middle of the day, and it freaks him out. The night vision is cool, but the light from Gerard’s headlights hurts his eyes. He looks down at his hands instead, willing his head to stop spinning. Gerard stops the car abruptly, and gets out, Mikey following close behind. They’re in the abandoned lot next to the dump, and it stinks. Mikey can smell every banana peel and old hamburger in the lot, along with another body that had been dumped there a week earlier. Gerard was right about the cops finding them all the time, then.

“Gee” Mikey hisses in a low voice. “There's a body in there already. I can smell it. If we stick this bastard next to it, they’ll think it's connected. It’ll throw them off our scent.”

Gerard’s eyes widen, but he nods. Mikey grabs the storage container out of the back, throwing it over the side of the chain-link fence. It lands with a dull thud, Mikey climbing the fence and jumping down next to it. He motions for Gerard to stay where he is. Gerard nods again, and Mikey picks up the container, picking his way across the mountains of garbage, eventually finding the other body. The guy’s half-buried under a mound of trash, wearing a cheap suit, with a bullet hole in the side of his head. Definitely a mob hit, Mikey thinks to himself. Mikey sets the container down next to the other corpse, and kicks some of the garbage around to make it look like it’s been there as long as the other body. He then makes his way back to Gerard, scaling the fence again before jumping down and sliding back into the passenger seat. Gerard balks at him when he shuts the door and clicks his seatbelt into place.

“That’s so fucking cool, man!” Gerard exclaims. “Thats like a fuckin’ 15 foot fence, and you just climbed it and jumped off like it was nothing. That’s the tightest shit ever.” Gerard starts the car, and the two of them start making their way back home, Gerard singing along to the radio every now and then. Mikey watches the houses go by out the window. It is pretty cool, he thinks. 

X

The next few days pass uneventfully. Mikey starts sleeping on the couch in the basement, the curtains in his bedroom not enough to keep the sunlight out the way he needs it to be. Gerard isn't exactly stoked to be sharing a room with him again, the lack of privacy not something he was expecting after he moved out of their childhood bedroom. He understands though, and would rather give up his privacy than having Mikey accidentally be turned to ash. Mikey also hasn’t eaten since he killed Ken, and his stomach has started gnawing at him again, the weird ache in his head and the dryness in his throat flaring up. He tries to ignore it the best he can, but with Gerard in the same room as him, smelling like a bakery, it’s hard to. He doesn't mention it to Gerard though, not wanting to scare him. But when Mikey wakes up one evening and looks in the bathroom mirror and sees his eyes, his irises completely black, blue veins spiderwebbing around them, he realizes this isn't something he can ignore anymore. He just doesn’t want to deal with it, is all. The universe isn’t gonna hand him another meal like it did before.

“Hey” Gerard says, sticking his head into the bathroom. If he notices how Mikey looks, he keeps it to himself. “Get dressed. We’re going to a show. You haven’t been out since you got turned, and I think mom and dad are getting suspicious.” Mikey doesn’t really want to go out, but Gerard has a point. Plus, maybe he can find a douchebag groping a girl or something, someone he wouldn’t feel bad about killing, and finally eat again. Maybe this is a good idea. 

Mikey walks out of the bathroom, and pulls on a Journey t-shirt and a faded pair of skinny jeans before cramming his feet into a pair of vans he’s 99% sure are Gerard’s. “Who’s playing?” 

Gerard looks up from where he’s perched on the steps. He’s wearing a long black coat and a blue striped scarf, even though it's like 80 degrees outside. “Some new band. They’re called Midtown, I think. The guy from Humble Beginnings is their frontman, though, so the crowd should be decent. What’s his name again? Grant?”

“Gabe,” Mikey answers softly. “His name is Gabe.” Mikey had seen Humble Beginnings a handful of times, half of those he had been underage and snuck in by Gerard or some of his older scenester friends. Every time he’d been enthralled by the enigmatic bass player. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. Gerard gets up, and walks upstairs into the kitchen, grabbing his keys off the hook before walking out the door to his car, Mikey following close behind. 

The ride to the venue is mundane, and the venue itself is a shitty little dive bar, with a gravel parking lot with about 35 or so cars parked in it. A decent turnout for a show like this, Mikey thinks to himself. Gerard pays the $5 cover fee for both of them, and the burly man at the door squints at Mikey before asking him to see his ID. Damnit. Mikey’s almost 20, but he looks about 16, and it dawns on him as the door guy Xs his hands that he’s gonna be dealing with that for the rest of his unlife. Oh well, he thinks, it’s not like he can drink anything anymore, anyways. That kind of sucks. He stays close to Gerard, thankful for once that his brother is such a wallflower. Mikey can hear the heartbeats and smell the blood of every person milling around in front of the tiny stage, and the idea of being that close to that many people right now makes Mikey feel like he’s gonna explode. Suddenly, the stage lights blink on, and Mikey has to look away. Fuck, they’re bright. The band walks on stage, and Mikey is still looking at the floor. He listens to them play though, trying to tune out the sound of blood sloshing around from the people in the crowd. They’re pretty decent. Gabe has a good voice, Mikey thinks. Gerard elbows him, obviously worried about Mikey staring at his feet for so long. It’s not like him. Mikey looks up at Gerard, and gives him a thumbs-up before turning his attention to the stage. When he sees Gabe up there, though, things get weird. 

Mikey’s vision tunnels, and his hackles rise involuntarily. Gabe has the same blown pupils, the same blue veins spiderwebbing around his eyes, over his chest and hands, and when he opens his mouth wide to hit a note, Mikey can see the wicked curve of his fangs. Gabe is like him. Fuck. How had he never noticed before? He leans over to tell Gerard. “He’s a vampire too,” Mikey says, his voice almost too low for Gerard to hear over the roar of instruments. “Gabe is a vampire too.” Gerard looks at Mikey, puzzled for a second, before turning back to the stage, and blinks a few times. 

“Holy shit,” Gerard breathes in response. “I didn’t notice until you told me. I couldn’t even see the fangs. That’s insane.” Mikey agrees. “It must be some kind of like, vampire mumbo jumbo camouflage,” Gerard continues. “So you guys can like, be around humans without attracting attention. Like, you’ve gotta be “in the know” to like, see it.” Mikey hums - it makes sense, he thinks. He remembers learning in freshman biology that most predatory animals have natural camouflage, and that’s what he is now. A predator. It makes him shutter a bit.

Mikey goes quiet then, keeping a steady gaze on Gabe, who’s hunched over his bass at the moment. When he looks up and scans the crowd, though, his eyes meet Mikey’s. He flubs a few cords, fingers stumbling. Mikey gives him a small wave, knowing Gabe can see it. Gabe furrows his brows at that, and turns his attention back to his bass. Mikey knows he knows now, though, and Gabe keeps stealing little glances at him and Gerard for the rest of the show. 

When Midtown’s set ends, Gabe disappears into the back with the rest of his band. A few moments later though, the band appears without Gabe, rowdy as they head to the bar. One of the other members - Mikey thinks his name is Rob - peels off from their group and heads towards Mikey and Gerard. Mikey steps up off the wall, putting himself between Gerard and Rob, not wanting a repeat of the Ken incident. He squares his shoulders to try and make his thin frame a little more imposing, but he’s pretty sure it doesn’t work.

Rob raises his hands in defence when he reaches them. “Whoa man. Relax, I’m not tryna come after you or anything. Gabe asked me to ask you and your friend to come backstage. He wants to talk to you - said he thinks you have something in common. I dunno. Just don’t like, punch him if he tries to kiss you, yeah? We kind of need his face intact.” With that, Rob clicks his tongue and turns to walk back to the bar. 

Mikey turns to look at Gerard with wide eyes. He’s a little afraid, to be honest. He thinks he’ll be okay, but he doesn’t want Gerard walking in and having to fight Gabe because he thinks Gerard is a meal. He doesn’t think he could win that fight, anyways. Before he can voice that concern, however, Gerard is already walking to the backstage area, pulling Mikey by his wrist. When they walk into the shitty little greenroom, Gabe is sitting criss cross on the floor across from a small, moth eaten, loveseat. He gestures at them to sit down. Gerard drops Mikey’s wrist, and goes to sit. Mikey follows him, flopping onto the loveseat before spreading his legs a bit, putting his foot in front of Gerard’s defensively. He has no clue how this is gonna go.

“Does he know?” Gabe asks Mikey tensely, his eyes the same black pools that Mikey saw in the mirror. “Does your friend know?”

“I’m his brother.” Gerard says, answering for Mikey. “And yes, I know.”

Gabe relaxes at that, leaning back to rest his weight on his arms. “Oh thank god. This could have gotten really awkward really fast. I’m Gabe, by the way, but I think you might already know that.” He flashes a wide smile at the two of them, his fangs gleaming in the light of the dim fluorescents. 

“Mikey Way,” Mikey responds. “And this is Gerard.” Gerard gives Gabe a little wave, which Gabe responds to by nodding at him.

“Mikey Way.” Gabe says, testing his name out. “Mikey. I like it. So tell me, Mikey, how long have you been one of us? Because I remember your face from a couple shows, but I’m pretty sure you weren’t, then.”

“I wasn't,” Mikey says. “It happened about a week ago.”

Gabe’s eyes go big at that. “A week? Oh fuck me, you’ve only been a vamp for a week and you already have enough self control to stand in a crowd without snapping? That’s fucking incredible, kid. Who made you?”

Mikey shrugs, and Gerard speaks up. “We don’t know. He just came in one night covered in blood, and the next thing we know he’s throwing up blood. It was a hit and run job.”

Gabe balks. “So you don’t know your maker, you can stand in a crowd, and you’re only a week old. Fuck, kid. Have you eaten? Do you know the best way to feed?”

Mikey shrugs. “I uh, I killed one of our neighbors.” Gabe stares at him. “It was self defence though! He forced his way into our house and I thought he was gonna kill Gee. We put his body in that dump that the cops find all the mob killings in.”

Gabe laughs at that. “That sure is one way to do it, kid. There's an easier way, though. Next time you’re at a show, keep an eye out for people wearing a black ribbon. Usually it’s as a bracelet, but some of the girls like to wear ‘em as chokers now. It's like the flagging system but for vamps and humans in the know. They get off on it, we get to eat, usually theres sex involved. It's a win-win for both parties, as long as you don’t, you know, kill ‘em.” 

Mikey cocks his head to the side. Sex for blood don’t really sound like a bad tradeoff. If he can go to a few shows a week, like normal, and hook up with one of the people Gabe mentioned, he should be fine. He can make this work.

“That's good to know.” Gerard says. “It would be pretty suspicious if our neighbors kept disappearing.” Mikey snorts at that. “How do you know all this, anyways? How long have you been a vampire?”

Gabe smirks. “I was born in 1943.” 

Gerard’s mouth falls open. Mikey blinks a few times. 

“I got turned in 1964,” Gabe continues. “Moved to the states in the late 80s. I was following Whitesnake on tour.” Gerard lets out a howling laugh at that, and Mikey giggles into his hand. Gabe cracks a smile. “Yeah yeah, you laugh now, but they were the shit back then. Anyways, my maker’s name is Julieta. She comes and visits every now and then. It’s odd for a maker to abandon their fledgeling, even if they were an accident. I mean, I was, but Julieta kept me around and taught me everything I needed to know before letting me out on my own. It’s weird that yours left you.” He eyes Mikey, who shrugs. He never was really one for normality, anyways. “Well,” Gabe says, standing up and stretching his arms above his head. “I’m starving, and I can tell that you are too. Wanna come with me? Let me show you the ropes?” 

Mikey glances at Gerard. “Go with him, Mikes.” Gerard says. “I’ll wait in the car, because honestly, I don’t really wanna watch you pick up a person you’re gonna both eat and bone. It’s just weird.” Mikey snorts at that. Gerard gets up and leaves the greenroom, headed back to their car. Before he leaves, he turns to Mikey. “You better come tell me if you leave, though. I want to know you’re safe.” Mikey nods, and Gerard disappears out the door.

Gabe stretches his hand out, and Mikey takes it, letting Gabe pull him to his feet. Gabe slings his arm around Mikey and then walks the two of them out of the greenroom. “I don’t know if you’re gonna be able to stop when you need too, so I wanna stick with you these first few times. You’re real pretty anyways, so it's not gonna be a hardship for me.” Mikey consiters it. On one hand, he feels a little offended at the idea that Gabe thinks he needs looking after. On the other though, is the fact that Gabe is probably right. Gabe has also been the star of a few of Mikey’s late night jerkoff sessions, so the added bonus of getting to have a threesome with him while getting to eat sounds like an excellent plan. Mikey nods at Gabe, who then flashes him another wide smile, before pulling him into the throng of bodies still around the bar and stage. 

There's a girl with dark hair and a low cut top leaning against the bar, sipping what Mikey can smell is a vodka lemonade. Gabe points her out, and Mikey glances from the curve of her neck down her right arm, where a small black bracelet is wrapped around her thin wrist. She’s in the know. Gabe takes Mikey by the hand, pulling him over to the bar. She glances up from her drink when Gabe leans right up next to her, whispering in her ear. She looks over at Mikey, who's trying to look nonchalant next to Gabe, and smiles. “I’m Emma,” she says. “You two wanna go to my car?”

“You know it, baby.” Gabe responds in a ridiculous Elvis impression. She laughs at him.

“Alright” She says, still giggling. “On one condition. You don’t do that again.”

“I can’t promise anything on his behalf,” Mikey says, as she leads the two of them out to the parking lot. “But I’ve never done that, and I have enough dignity to avoid trying to.” She laughs again, and Gabe snorts. She leads them to a gray minivan at the corner of the lot.

“Hand-me-down” She says, in the way of explanation. “The seats in the back lay down, though. Plenty of room.” She smirks and pops the trunk, and gestures for the two of them to get in. Mikey crawls in first, turning to face Emma and Gabe as they both crawl in after him. Gabe pulls the trunk closed, and then kisses her, before gently shoving her back so she’s laying on top of Mikey, her back pressed to his front. Gabe unbuttons her jeans, and works his hand inside. She arches her back at the feeling of Gabe’s fingers, and tilts her head to the side. 

If this was any other time, Mikey would be getting hard. Right now though, as hungry as he is, all he can focus on is the curve of Emma’s neck, and the rush of her blood through her veins. He puts one of his arms around her middle as Gabe yanks her jeans down, spreading her legs open so he can get in between them. He licks into her, and she moans before turning her head to face Mikey.

“You gonna bite?” She asks him, her voice breathy as Gabe works his fingers into her. “Or are you just gonna sit there and watch?” Gabe pulls his head away from her to look up at Mikey to give him a brief nod before moving to suck on her clit. She moans, high and loud, and throws her head to the side. It’s too much for Mikey, who opens his mouth and sinks his teeth into the side of her neck. The skin pops like a balloon, and then Mikey has a mouthful of blood. He closes his eyes and drinks, relishing in the flavor. It's better than Ken - Emma tastes sweeter, and she's not fighting against him like Ken was. He’s not sure how long he stays like that, listening to the wet sounds of Gabe eating her out, but the thirst goes away soon enough. He feels Emma jerk against his hold, and she moans, before going limp, her breathing heavy.

“Mikey.” Gabe says softly. “Mikey. You gotta stop. You don’t want to kill her.” 

Mikey doesn't want to stop. He wants to keep drinking until there’s nothing left, but Gabe is right. He wills himself to stop, pulling off of her neck before he opens his eyes. Gabe is looking up at him from between her legs, the left corner of his mouth smeared with a few drops of blood. Emma has a bite mark in her left thigh, from where Gabe bit her. Gabe pops the trunk, and motions at Mikey to get out. Mikey lets go of Emma, who’s watching him leave with hazy eyes, her pants still around her ankles.

“Here,” Gabe says, throwing his wallet at Mikey. “Go to the vending machine next to the entrance and buy a gatorade and some oreos. She needs to get her blood sugar back up. I’m gonna help her clean up.”

“Ooh” Emma says, her voice a little thin. “Get an orange one.”

Mikey heads to the vending machines, and feeds a few dollars into one. He sees Gabe get out of the minivan and grab something from the front seat while he’s waiting on Emma’s cookies to drop. When he gets back, she's dressed again, a band-aid on her neck where Mikey had bit her. He hands her the gatorade and the oreos, which she tears into happily. He hands Gabe’s wallet back to him, and when he does, Gabe pulls a sticky note out of it, and grabs a pen from the console of the Minivan. He writes something down on it, and hands it to Mikey.

It’s Gabe’s phone number. “Call me when you need to go out again. I’ll come with. I’m gonna take Emma back to her home, she probably shouldn’t drive right now.” Emma, who has her mouth around the gatorade bottle, nods in agreement. “Go get some sleep. This meal ain’t gonna last like your last.” Gabe laughs out. Mikey smiles at him. 

“I will. Thanks man. You know, for everything.” Mikey says. Gabe laughs him off, waving him away. Mikey walks back across the parking lot until he finds Gerard’s car. Gerard is asleep in the driver’s seat. He jumps when Mikey knocks on the window, flipping him off before unlocking the door. 

“Did you find something? Or should I say someone?” Gerard asks as Mikey slides into the car and shuts the door. Mikey snorts.

“Yeah,” He says. “Gabe gave me his phone number too. Said to call him next time, so he could go with.”

“That's good,” Gerard hums as he starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot. “Because no matter how much I love you, I am not helping you get laid. Eat. Laideat.” Mikey barks out a loud laugh at that, because yeah, that was fair. The short drive home is as uneventful as the drive there, and Mikey is exhausted as he comes in the door and walks down the basement steps, Gerard following behind him. He kicks his shoes off and collapses on the couch, not bothering to change clothes. He falls asleep face down, to the sounds of Gerard getting ready for bed, with a full belly, no hunger bothering him for the first time in three days. 

X

Two days later, Mikey wakes up in the middle of the day, his stomach cramping and his throat burning. Fuck. He scrambles for his phone, punching in Gabe’s number. It rings three times before Gabe picks up.

“Whutizzit?” Gabe slurs, his voice thick with sleep. Oh right, Mikey thinks. It’s the middle of the night for Gabe, and him too, he guesses.

“Sorry,” Mikey says softly, not wanting to wake Gerard. “I’m still getting used to the whole “nocturnal” thing. I can call you back later.”

“Mikey, hey,” Gabe says, sounding moderately more awake now. “You’re alright. You never really get used to it fully, if I’m being honest. What's up?”

“I need to go out again,” Mikey answers. “My head is pounding and my throat is burning. You said to let you know so you could come with me, right?”

“Right.” Gabe says. “Well, I can’t exactly come right now. Sunset is at 8:30ish or so, though. I’ll come pick you up at 9. Where do you live?”

“That sounds good,” Mikey says, before rattling off his address to Gabe, who has him repeat it so Gabe can write it down.

“I’ll be there. Try and get some more sleep. I know I’m gonna. G’nite.” Gabe says with a chuckle.

“Night.” Mikey responds, hearing the line click. He snaps his phone shut and lays back down, trying to fall back asleep. He listens to Gerard’s steady breathing and the rhythmic thump of his heartbeat from his bed on the other side of the room. Mikey turns so his face is pressed into the back of the couch, pulling the thick blanket he had brought from his room up around his shoulders. Soon enough, lulled by the soft cacophony of Gerard’s blood rushing through his veins and the heavy weight of the blanket, he drops off back into a dreamless sleep. 

The next thing he knows, Mikey’s being poked in the face. He groans, shifting around to see Gabe, squatting next to the couch with a shit-eating grin on his face. Gerard is hunched in his bed, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand, with his blankets wrapped around him like a babushka. “Up and at’em, Mikeyboy” Gabe stage-whispers. “We've got places to go! People to eat!” Gerard snorts into his coffee cup at that.

“If you call me that again” Mikey groans loudly, his hunger making him more irritated than he usually gets. “I’m gonna break your kneecaps. How’d you even get in, anyways?” 

“Your mom let me in,” Gabe responds, his smile somehow getting wider. “She's really nice.”

Mikey sighs and pushes the covers off himself before he sits up. He’s shirtless, dressed only in a pair of boxers, because it was still warm outside when he went to bed, and he wanted to sleep under a blanket. He gets up and shuffles to the bathroom, picking up a t-shirt and a pair of jeans from the floor on his way. He leaves the door open, and he can feel Gabe’s eyes, heavy on him the whole time, as he tries to brush the sleep taste from his mouth and tame his hair, and as he pulls on the jeans and one of Gerard’s Star Wars shirts. 

“Dude” Gerard pipes up from the bed. “Stop staring at Mikey like he’s a piece of meat. Especially where I can see. Gross.”

Gabe turns his attention to Gerard. “Was I?” Gerard wrinkles his nose in disgust and nods before sipping at his coffee again. “Huh. Well, it’s not a bad view.” Gabe says, turning back to Mikey and leering. If Mikey had blood, he’d blush. He rolls his eyes instead, cramming on his shoes as he comes out of the bathroom. 

“Are you coming with us?” Mikey asks Gerard.

“Nah.” Gerard shakes his head, his black hair somehow getting more tousled in the process. “CBS is showing classic horror movies all night. I’m gonna watch The Fly and get a head start on a project for my design class. You guys have fun.” Gerard flaps his hand at them before grabbing the remote to turn on the shitty little TV on his dresser. It’s clear that they’re dismissed. 

Gabe bounds up the stairs, Mikey walking slowly up behind him. His mom is sitting on the couch in the living room, sipping a steaming cup of tea while watching the news. She mutes the TV when she sees them come in.

“Where you boys headed?” she asks.

“The Apollo, down in New Brunswick,” Gabe answers. “Thursday is playing. I’ve got an in with Geoff, so we’re getting in for free.” He flashes a close lipped smile at her, hoping he comes off as endearing. 

She hums into her mug. “That's a ways. You two be careful on the road.” Mikey nods at her before she continues. “Be careful off the road too. There was a story on about five disappearances happening in the last week. Keep an eye out.”

“We will, Ma. See you later.” Mikey says softly as he steps out the door after Gabe. Five disappearances in a week is a lot, even for where they live. Not that either of them have to worry about self-defence. He opens the passenger side door to Gabe’s car - a beat up emerald green dodge - and gets in. Gabe pulls out of the neighborhood, and gets on the highway before turning down the radio.

“So” He says. 

“So” Mikey mimics.

Gabe snorts before continuing, his gaze steady on the road in front of him. “So last time, because it was your first time and all, I took care of everything. This time though, you’re gonna have to help out. Getting them off, that is. Do you know how much self control that took me? Blue-balling myself so you could eat? I’m amazing. I really am.” Mikey snorts a laugh that he tries to turn into a cough. Gabe sees through it, anyways. “Fuck you! I really am! Anyways, I’ll be nice, let you pick ‘em out and everything. We should do it during the show though, so the greenroom is empty. We got lucky with Emma, her having a van and all. That usually doesn’t happen. You also need to know when to stop. Some of the older vamps can listen to heartbeats, and stop when they start fluttering but like, I can’t do that. Especially while I’m also fucking someone. I usually count to two-hundred, and it hasn’t failed me yet. When it's just you alone, you can go up to four.” 

Mikey hums in acknowledgement. That's good to know. It sucks, having to miss the set, but he’s hungry enough that it doesn’t really matter. Plus, being able to really spread out and eat sounds nice. The rest of the car ride passes in much the same fashion, Gabe and Mikey falling into easy conversation, comparing shows they’ve been too, trying to one-up each other with their scene cred. At one point, Mikey opens Gabe’s glovebox to look at his CDs. There's a plethora of 80s hair metal, a few from the local bands, and a whole lot of Cher. He’s gonna tease Gabe about those later. 

Soon enough, Gabe is pulling into the parking lot of the venue. It’s paved this time, with a lot more cars than were at the Midtown show. Gabe hops out, and walks around the front of his car to open Mikey’s door for him. Mikey quirks an eyebrow at him as he takes Gabe’s outstretched hand. 

“I’m nothing if not a gentleman, Mikeyway '' He says jokingly, in way of explanation. Mikey laughs, high pitched and clear, cutting through the warm air. Gabe smiles wide at him, his fangs glimmering in the glow of the sodium streetlights. “Fuck you! I totally am. You’ll be wooed soon enough by my customary courting ways. I guaran-goddamn-tee it.” 

“Oh, I’m sure,” Mikey drawls sarcastically. He holds on to Gabe’s hand, though, and lets himself be pulled around the back of the venue, where Gabe pounds a fist on the stage door. He doesn’t drop Mikey's hand. 

Geoff is the person who opens the door. He takes the two of them in, looking from Gabe’s grip on Mikey’s hand up to Gabe’s face before speaking. “Saporta! Hey! I was starting to think you weren't gonna show, man. We’ve got to go on like, now.”

Gabe nods at him, finally dropping Mikey’s hand with a squeeze as Geoff shepherds the two of them into the dim hallway. “That's fine. Is it chill if we use the greenroom while you guys are playing?” 

“Whatever.” Geoff responds, clearly needing to get back to the stage. “Just don’t like, get blood on the carpet or anything. Or any other bodily fluids.” 

“No promises!” Gabe yells at Geoff’s back as he jogs back to where the rest of his band is waiting. He flips Gabe off before he disappears around a corner.

“So, hey.” Gabe says, turning to face Mikey. “I’m gonna go check out the greenroom. See if everything we might need is there. You think you can get someone all by yourself?”

Mikey rolls his eyes. “I might be new to the whole vampire thing, but I’m not to the whole “pick up a stranger at a show and get laid” thing. The scene queen reputation comes from somewhere, dude.” Gabe snorts at that. 

“Alright then. Go find us a bite to eat.” He winks at Mikey, and slaps his ass before walking into the greenroom. Mikey turns and walks down the hallway, following the path Geoff had taken. Thursday is already playing by the time Mikey makes it into the crowd, the wailing of guitars and Geoff’s voice, guttural and strong, drowning out the sound of heartbeats. Mikey spots a guy with bleach blonde hair on the fringe of the audience. He’s got a tattoo on his neck and a ribbon around his wrist. Perfect. Mikey makes his way over slowly, letting the guy get a good look at him before approaching. His jeans are riding low, exposing his hipbones just a bit, and the guy’s eyes keep flitting between Mikey’s mouth and his waist. This is gonna be easy. 

“Hey” Mikey says casually, flashing him a small smile, letting the guy see his fangs. “I’m Mikey. I’ve got a friend back in the greenroom. You wanna get outta the crowd?” Mikey blinks slowly, knowing his big eyes and now, his sharp teeth, will draw the guy in. 

“Austin.” The guy answers. Mikey can hear how fast his heart is beating, even over the sound of the band, “Yeah. Lead the way.” Mikey gets close to Austin, hooking a finger through his belt loop before pulling him back through the entrance to the back stage, and into the greenroom. Gabe is lounging on the couch when Mikey pulls Austin through the door. 

“Nice going, Mikeyway” Gabe breathes out, looking Austin up and down. Mikey snorts, and manhandles Austin onto the couch, Austin moving willingly to sit in between Gabe’s legs, his tight jeans already tenting. Mikey sinks to his knees in front of them, unbuttoning Austin’s pants and pulling them all the way off. Mikey loves this. The feeling of a partner getting off, plus the heavy gaze of Gabe watching him work makes Mikey feel like he’s really in his element. He uses his shoulders to push Austin’s knees out, making room for himself, and licks a stripe up his cock. It’s different from the other blowjobs Mikey has given in the past. He can smell the blood rushing around, and it’s making him a little dizzy. He dives back in, getting his mouth around the head, before sinking all the way down. His fangs get in the way less than he thought they would, he thinks, as he bobs his head up and down. Suddenly, a hand is around the base of Austin’s dick, and Mikey can smell blood being spilled. He gazes up, and sees Gabe’s teeth in Austin’s neck, his hand working in tandem to Mikey’s sucking. Austin is painting and moaning, and Gabe is beautiful as he feeds, all dark eyes and a clever tongue. It makes Mikey’s dick twitch.

“I’m gonna” Austin pants out, his hand moving to pull at Mikey’s hair. Mikey pulls off his cock with a loud pop, batting Gabe’s hand away to replace it with his own. He works the length up and down, and right as Austin’s moans pitch up, Mikey turns his head and bites into his thigh. He feels Austin’s dick jump in his hand, and then cum hitting his shoulder. Mikey drinks, savoring the sweet flavor and the feeling of energy coming back into his body. He counts to two-hundred, like Gabe had said, then pulls off, licking at the holes to get every last drop. Austin slumps back against Gabe, who’s staring at Mikey with dark eyes. 

“There’s a first-aid kit over there” Gabe says, waving his hand towards the card table covered in snacks and magazines shoved in the corner of the room. Mikey gets up and walks over, grabbing a paper towel and wiping Austin’s cum off his shirt before making his way back to the couch, first-aid kit in hand. He pops it open, grabbing the neosporin and smearing some on the bite on Austin’s thigh before handing it to Gabe so he can do the same. Mikey plasters a band-aid on the bite, then helps Austin back into his jeans. Gabe grabs the box of band-aids from Mikey, slapping one on Austin’s neck, before shoving him gently out of his lap. Austin is able to stand up without getting dizzy, which is a good sign. 

“Thanks, guys” Austin says, buttoning his jeans back up, before heading to the door. “I’m gonna try and catch the end of the set.”

“Hey” Mikey calls. “Catch.” He throws a sprite from the snack table to Austin, who pops it open. “You didn’t drive here, did you?”

“Nah” Austin says, sipping the Sprite. “Came with some friends. I know to eat shit to get my blood-sugar back up. Not my first rodeo.” He smiles at Gabe, flashes a peace sign at Mikey, and then he's gone. 

Mikey moves to sit on the couch with Gabe. He’s still hard in his jeans, willing it to go away, hoping Gabe doesn’t say anything. The minute he sits down, though, Gabe is up off the couch and on his knees in front of Mikey, working his jeans open. 

“Watching you suck that guy’s dick was so hot, man,” Gabe says, as Mikey’s hard cock springs free from his boxers and Gabe gets his hand around it. Mikey throws his head back and groans, low and guttural as Gabe continues. “So like, if I don’t suck your dick right now, I’m gonna die.” Mikey looks down at Gabe between his thighs, and closes his eyes. Fuck, that’s a sight to behold. Gabe's breath ghosts across the tip of Mikey’s dick for just a moment, before he starts licking. They’re small little licks, all around the head, and dipping into the slit. Mikey is leaking pre-cum at this point. 

“Fuck, Gabe, please” He moans out, his voice deep and wrecked. 

“Please what?” Gabe says, innocently. Bastard. 

“Please” Mikey whines. “Please suck my dick. If you don’t right now I’ll-” Mikey doesn’t get a chance to finish his threat before Gabe is covering the head of Mikey’s dick with his mouth, sinking down to swallow all of it. Mikey moans so loud it’s almost a scream, glad that he can still hear the band playing through the wall, so no one knows what’s happening. Gabe is a fucking savant at cock-sucking. He’s bobbing his head, swirling his tongue around Mikey’s tip, and Mikey feels like he’s going to explode. He fists his hand in Gabe’s hair, pulling, warning him. Gabe stays exactly where he is, sucks harder, and presses his index finger against Mikey’s hole. That sets Mikey off, sparks firing in his belly as he cums down Gabe’s throat. Gabe sucks out everything he can and pulls off, and as soon as Mikey stops shaking, he opens his eyes to Gabe smirking up at him from the floor, his jeans tenting in the front. Mikey tucks his oversensitive dick back in his jeans, buttons them, and shoves Gabe’s shoulders hard, forcing him to fall back on the floor.

“Mikey, what-” Gabe huffs, confused. Mikey shushes him, climbing off the couch to straddle Gabe’s legs and yank his fly open. Gabe props himself up on his elbows, watching as Mikey works his fly down. When Mikey pulls his cock out and gets his hand around it, his thin fingers working the length deftly, his thumb swiping rhythmically the mess of pre-cum at the tip, Gabe tips his head back and moans. Mikey looks up, staring at the curve of Gabe’s neck, watching his adam's apple bob as Mikey strokes faster. Gabe isn’t gonna last long, already on edge from watching Mikey, and then blowing him.

“Mikey,” he huffs. “Mikey, I’m gonna-” Mikey dips his head down to suck the tip of Gabe’s cock into his mouth, and Gabe yells. His back arches up as he cums into Mikey’s mouth, the feeling making fireworks dance behind his eyes. Mikey swallows around his dick one last time and pulls off, a line of spit connecting it to Mikey’s lower lip. If Gabe hadn’t just cum his brains out, the sight of that alone would get him ready to go. Mikey tucks Gabe’s dick back into his pants, buttoning them back up and patting his fly softly which Gabe snorts at, before collapsing on the floor next to him.

“So.” Mikey says, turning to look at Gabe.

“So.” Gabe parrots, shifting onto his side to look at Mikey. His eyes are glittering in the low light of the greenroom. Gabe can see a sliver of brown in his right one, cutting starkly against the hazel. It’s breathtaking.

“So. Is this gonna be a thing? Me and you? Doing this together?” Mikey asks softly, unsure. 

“Do you want it to?” Gabe asks. Fuck. He really wants Mikey to want it to.

“Do you?” Mikey asks, deflecting. 

“Yeah.” Gabe says, his voice almost a whisper. “Yeah, I want it to.”

“Good. Because I really want it to.” Mikey says with a small smile. 

Gabe cracks a wide grin. “Alright. Now that that's settled, we should probably leave. Geoff is gonna kill me if we’re still here and the room smells like sex.” Gabe gets to his feet, and offers Mikey his hand. Mikey takes it, and Gabe pulls him up and slings his arm around him, the two of them making their way out of the venue and back to Gabe’s car, intertwined.

The ride back to Belleville is uneventful, but wonderful. Gabe pulls Love Hurts out of the glovebox, and sings along to every song on the album on the way back, Mikey laughing at him, but also singing to Love and Understanding when it comes on. When they pull into the Way’s driveway, the sun starts peaking over the horizon. 

“Fuck” Gabe curses, looking at the sky. “I didn’t realize it was so late it’s early.”

“Hey” Mikey says. “Stay. The couch in the basement pulls out. We’ll both fit.”

Gabe nods, and the two of them creep quietly into the house, not wanting to wake Mikey’s parents. Gerard is already in bed, but still awake when they get down into the basement, though. 

“Hey!” He says, “You’re back! Good show?”

“I wouldn't know.” Mikey says. Gerard makes a gagging noise. “Gabe’s gonna crash. The sun’s coming up.” Mikey starts pulling the cushions off the couch, and pulls the bed out. There are already sheets on it, thank god. Mikey does not feel like dressing a bed this evening. Morning? Whatever. He throws some extra pillows onto it, and strips down to his boxers, a mirror of what he was wearing when Gabe picked him up. Gabe follows suit, throwing his shirt and pants onto the floor before collapsing belly first onto the rickety pullout. 

“I like you Saporta” Gerard pipes up from his nest of pillows, his voice drowsy but eerily firm. “But if you try to do anything while I’m in the room, I’ll bash your head in with an axe.”

“Duly noted.” Gabe responds, his voice muffled by the pillow, but sincere. Mikey snorts and crawls under the covers beside Gabe. “I told you so.” Gabe says in a whisper.

“Told me what?” Mikey whispers back.

“That you’d be wooed by my customary courting ways. Look at us. We’re already sharing a bed.” Gabe responds, his voice playful.

Mikey giggles at him. “Shut up. I wouldn’t call blowjobs on the floor of a greenroom customary.”

“Holy fuck, you two, I can hear you, you know. Go the fuck to sleep” Gerard says. “I swear to god. If I hear anything like that again, I’m seriously gonna fuckin ice you, Saporta. Vampire or otherwise.” 

“Sorry, Gee” Mikey says. He turns back to Gabe, who’s watching him through heavy eyes, his cheek smooshed into his pillow. Mikey blinks at him, and scoots over, tucking his head under Gabe’s chin. Gabe lays his arms around Mikey’s middle, and the two of them, one after another, drop off to sleep. 

X

Mikey gets about two hours of sleep before he’s woken up again. Someone flipped the overhead light on, and when Mikey looks up, his dad is standing at the foot of the basement stairs, dressed for work. There's a Police Officer standing right behind him. Mikey untangles himself from Gabe’s hold, sitting up and pulling the blanket up to his chin. Gerard is sitting hunched in his bed, and Gabe is still laying down, staring at the officer, with the blanket around his waist. 

“Sorry to wake you boys.” Their dad says, apologetically. “Officer Owen here is investigating all the disappearances lately. He’s just got a couple of questions for you two.” He gestures at Gerard and Mikey. “Those two are my sons, the ones I told you were home the day Ken disappeared.”

MIkey’s heart leaps into his throat. Fuck. Gabe shifts, grabbing Mikey’s hand under the covers, giving him a reassuring squeeze. 

“That’s right.” Officer Owen says. “Ken’s wife said the last time she saw him, he was headed over here to speak with your father about an issue with the dog. Your dad told me that he wasn’t home when Ken arrived. Did one of you speak with him?”

“I did.” Gerard answers. Mikey can hear how fast his heart is beating. 

“How did the exchange go?” The officer asks, turning his attention to Gerard fully. 

“He told me that if our dog didn’t stop pooping in his yard, he’d “Bash our no good heads in”” Gerard says, making finger quotes next to his face. “When I told him we didn’t have a dog, he called me a liar, slammed the door in my face and stormed off in a huff.” Mikey is surprised at how steady Gerard’s voice sounds. The officer hums, writing down something on a small notepad before turning his attention to Mikey. 

“And where were you during this exchange?” He asks.

“I was down here.” Mikey responds. It’s not necessarily a lie. “I had a wicked hangover. I heard Ken shouting, and then the door slamming, and Gerard came back downstairs.” Gabe gives his hand another reassuring squeeze. 

“That sounds about right. Thank you boys. I’ll go ahead and let the two of you know that you’re not suspects. We’re just trying to establish a timeline. I don’t think either of you could take the guy down, honestly. Even if you were working together.” The officer laughs at his own joke and ascends back up the stairs. Their dad shoots them another apologetic look, and flips the light off before leaving himself. 

“Well, fuck.” Gerard says to no one in particular. He throws himself backwards in his bed, landing on his pile of pillows with a huff.

“Yeah.” Mikey says. “But we’re not suspects. That's good, right?”

“It’s great. I’m going back to sleep. Or I’m gonna try to, anyways.” Gerard responds softly.

Mikey lays back down, shuffling over so he can lay his head on Gabe’s chest. Gabe cards his hands through Mikey’s hair a few times. “That’s the guy you put in the storage container and left in the mob dump, right?” Gabe asks.

“Yeah.” Mikey says. “Yeah it is.”

Gabe hums in acknowledgement, not saying anything else. The noise makes Gabe’s chest rumble under Mikey’s head. He’s got adrenaline and anxiety shooting through him, but he’s also still sated and full, running on two hours of sleep. Even with his newfound undeadness, that’s not enough, and his tired brain soon outweighs his anxious brain, letting him drift back into sleep, with his face smushed against Gabe’s bare chest. 

X

The next two or so weeks pass in a similar fashion. Mikey and Gabe go out, find someone, watch a show, and come back to the Way’s, where Gabe crashes. Gerard goes with them sometimes, if it’s a band he wants to see or if some of his art-school friends are going. Gabe has become a semi-permanent resident at their house now. Their mom likes him because he helps get things off of tall shelves and can keep up with her in Days of Our Lives trivia. On the nights where Gabe has to leave because Midtown has practice, Mikey and Gerard sit around and watch old movies, or sometimes Gerard will draw while Mikey plays a CD. It’s nice, living like this, Mikey thinks. He’s a little scared though, that the bubble will bust one day.

X

About a month after Mikey got turned, Gabe comes bounding down the stairs, waiving a small show flier in his left hand.

“We’re going here tonight” He says, the paper still fluttering in his hand. “It’s a band from outta town. Chicago, I think. It’ll be a small crowd, but they’re more hardcore than most of the shows we go to, so I bet theres gonna be more people to get a bite from.”

Mikey snatches the paper from Gabe’s hand. “Arma Angelus” He reads aloud. “All ages, $7 at the door. I’ve never heard of them.” He glances at Gerard, who shrugs. 

“I have” Gabe says. “Through the grapevine, anyways. They’re supposed to be pretty good. You up for it?” Mikey nods. Gabe turns to Gerard. “What about you?”

“Ehh, not tonight.” Gerard answers. “I’ve got a stack of new comics that came in on Monday and half a bottle of Smirnoff. I’m gonna stay here."

“Suit yourself.” Gabe answers, grabbing Mikey’s hand and pulling him up the stairs and out the door. 

The venue is the same one that Mikey met Gabe at. The tiny parking lot is about half full, but when Gabe pays the cover charge this time, the bouncer doesn’t X Mikey’s hands, so that’s a plus. There's a small crowd milling around the stage, a few people looking up or high-fiving Gabe when they make their way over. Mikey can spot a handful of people with ribbons, including Emma, who waves at the two of them amicably before turning her attention back to her friends. 

Gabe ducks his head down slightly so he can whisper to Mikey. “Do you wanna pick someone up now, or do you wanna wait?” He asks.

Mikey tilts his head back to answer. “Let's wait. You hyped these guys up so much, I wanna see what all the fuss is about.” Gabe snorts at that, but before he can retort, the bar lights blink off, and the band walks on stage.

Anything Mikey would have said dies in his throat as Arma starts playing. They’re decent - it's a lot of heavy guitars against thumping drums and guttural, jagged vocals. Their frontman, though, catches Mikey’s eye immediately. Gabe’s too, Mikey can tell, from the way his eyes are glittering as he stares at the stage. The guy is small, close to tiny, with deep tanned skin and tattoos criss-crossing across his upper arms, and peeking out from the collar of his tight shirt. He’s got close cropped, black hair, round, almost cherubic cheeks, and most importantly, a thin, black ribbon wrapped tightly around his neck. Fuck, Mikey thinks with a sigh as he leans back against Gabe, the two of them moving in tandem in the pit, swaying together with the movements of the bodies around them. Mikey really wants to dig his teeth into that frontman. 

“We’re totally going after him, right?” Gabe says, gesturing at the stage. Mikey nods. He’s so glad the two of them are on the same wavelength when it comes to this. He keeps his eyes glued to the frontman the rest of the show. The guy is a ball of energy, bouncing around the stage, screaming his heart out, and at one point casting off his bass so he can climb the rafters and hang over the crowd. His shirt falls forward, revealing a bat-shaped tattoo that dips into the waistband of his underwear. Mikey draws in a sharp breath at that, and he feels Gabe squeeze his hip. Yeah, they’re totally going after the guy. 

Gabe pulls Mikey out of the pit and to the side stage when the show ends, nodding at the security guy as he waves them backstage. It’s nice, Gabe being so established as an actual musician and not just a guy in the scene that they can get backstage most anywhere, Mikey thinks. He lets his mind wander as Gabe pulls him into the wings, about what it would be like to be a musician like that. Maybe he should pick up bass again. He doesn’t have time to daydream long though, because the guy is bouncing off the stage, shoving his bass into the hands of a kid with a shitty bleach job who can't be more than 16. 

“Hey!” Gabe calls. “Great show, man. You guys killed it.”

The guy whirls around on his heel at that, turning to look at Gabe and Mikey. “You’re Gabe Saporta.” He says, instead of a greeting.

“I am.” Gabe responds, flashing the guy a smile, showing off his fangs. The guy blinks, and raises his hand to touch the ribbon around his neck briefly, before bouncing over to them. 

“Pete Wentz.” He says, sticking his hand out. Gabe takes it and shakes, letting his index and middle finger linger over Pete’s pulse-point on his wrist for longer than strictly necessary. It makes Pete’s eyes go dark. “Who’s your friend?” He asks, stretching his hand out to Mikey.

“Mikey.” Mikey responds, taking his hand, shaking and lingering the same way Gabe did. Pete’s hands are big and warm, blood flowing through them fast. Mikey can hear how hard Pete’s heart is beating. Thank god, this is gonna be an easy one, he thinks to himself.

“Gabe and Mikey. Nice to meet you. My band has a motel room for the night, but I don’t think the rest of them are gonna want to go back for a while. Do you wanna get out of here?” Pete asks, flashing them a wide grin. Mikey blinks. Usually, their people aren’t so forward. It's refreshing. 

“That sounds like a great idea.” Gabe responds. “Lead the way.”

Pete smiles that big smile at Gabe. “One sec.” He turns his back to them and yells. “Troh!” The kid with the blonde hair, who looks up from where he’s crouched, messing with the guitar case. “I’m leaving. Going back to the motel with some friends. Let the guys know?” 

“Sure, Pete. Be careful.” The kid turns to look at Gabe and Mikey, and narrows his bright blue eyes. His gaze makes a chill run up Mikey’s spine, and he feels Gabe bristle next to him. Weird. 

“You’re the best!” Pete calls at the kid, turning and walking out of the backstage door, motioning for Mikey and Gabe to follow him. As Mikey turns, he looks back, locking eyes with the kid, who's still watching them. He swears, just for a second, he sees the kid’s eyes reflect the lights of the stage. Really weird. He disregards that though, in favor of following Pete and Gabe out of the venue and down the sidewalk. They walk in silence for about a quarter mile, the early September air still warm, and swirling with anticipation. 

The motel that they stop at isn’t exactly nice, but Mikey also doesn't have to worry about like, axe murderers or serial killers anymore, so he brushes it off. Pete leads them to one of the doors, fishing the key out of his pocket and pushing the door open. Gabe follows him inside, Mikey shuffling behind him, pulling the door closed. The room has two double beds with white sheets, and a stack of suitcases in the corner. Pete glides over to the stack, rummaging around in one, then turning to toss a bottle of lube and a pack of condoms on the bed. Oh, Mikey thinks. Okay. That’s farther than he and Gabe usually go, with another person at least, but sure. Pete’s pretty, Mikey is hungry, and Gabe is too. This is great. 

“So,” Pete says, turning to look at Gabe, who's leaning against the wall. “How do we want to do this?”

Gabe hums, thinking. “Mikey,” He says finally. “Get naked and lie on your back. Pete, get naked and lie on top of him. I have an idea.” Mikey does as he’s told, shimming out of his pants and shucking his shirt to the floor before going to flop down on the bed closest to the windows. Pete pulls his tank-top off, letting the two of them get a good look at the necklace of thorns tattooed over his collarbones, before peeling his jeans off and moving to straddle Mikey. Pete’s prettier up close, Mikey thinks, as he pulls him down by the neck to kiss him, hot and slow, letting his fangs graze over Pete’s lower lip. Pete is hard, his dick bumping into Mikey’s hip as he rolls with the kisses, languid. Mikey hears Gabe throw his clothes to the floor, and feels him crawl onto the bed. Then he hears the snick of the lube being open, and Pete goes taught above him. 

“Fuck, Saporta,” He breathes out, putting his hands on either side of Mikey’s head to brace himself. “Warn a guy, ooh-” His voice pitches into a whine when Gabe adds another finger. Pete is moving back and forth, His head dipped next to Mikey’s. Mikey leans up, nibbling on the side of Pete’s neck, not applying enough pressure to break the skin just yet. Pete moans nonetheless, and then Mikey twitches as Gabe puts his hand around his dick. He looks up, over Petes shoulder at Gabe, who winks at him before tearing open a condom and rolling it over Mikey’s dick. Gabe then takes it by the base, and presses Mikey’s cock up into Pete. Mikey groans, and Pete moans louder. 

“Shit” Mikey huffs into Pete’s ear as he rolls his hips, building up a rhythm. Pete’s arms are shaking, and his dick is leaking all over Mikey’s stomach as Mikey rakes his nails down Pete’s back. Then, Mikey hears Gabe opening the lube again, and pressing a finger into Pete, next to Mikey’s dick. Pete yells at that, moving his hips backwards against Mikey. 

“Fuck, God that feels so-” Gabe presses another finger into Pete, who groans.

“You think you could take both of us?” Gabe asks Pete, while crooking his fingers inside of him. Pete groans again.

“I don’t know if I can,” He grunts out as Mikey jackknifes his hips. “But I’m sure gonna fucking try. Mama didn’t raise no quitter.” Mikey giggles into Pete’s ear at that, and Gabe throws his head back and laughs. 

“Works for me.” Gabe says, still chuckling. “Mikey, stop for a second. Spread your legs a bit.” It takes all of Mikey’s self control to stop fucking up into Pete, but somehow he manages it. Gabe pulls his fingers out, rolls a condom on, and knee walks up the bed to get in between Mikey’s spread legs. He presses into Pete, who shouts, dropping his head and shoulders, resting his weight completely on Mikey. Mikey can feel Gabe’s dick sliding in next to his, and when Gabe starts thrusting, Mikey moans at the feeling of the friction inside Pete, who's so, so tight. Pete is grunting and moaning every breath now, never not full as Mikey and Gabe fuck into him on an alternating rythim. Gabe worms his hand in between Pete and Mikey, grabbing Pete’s dick, and Pete screams. Mikey watches his eyes roll back into his head as he cums, and Gabe bites down into Pete’s shoulder. The feeling of Pete squeezing around them, and the smell of blood is too much, and Mikey jacks his hips up one more time before cumming into Pete, turning his head to bite into his neck simultaneously. Mikey also, luckily has the wherewithal to start counting to two-hundred. At about one fifty, he feels Gabe’s cock pulse, before he’s cumming into Pete as well. 

Mikey pulls his fangs out of Pete’s neck, sucking on the holes softly, as he feels Gabe ease the two of them out of Pete. Pete is covered in sweat, breathing hard, and smiling lackadaisically as he collapses off of Mikey and onto the bed. Gabe shifts, pulling off his condom and tying it off before throwing it away. 

“There’s a kit in there,” Pete murmurs, gesturing to the suitcase he had pulled the lube and condoms out of. Gabe walks over, and pulls the first-aid kit out as Mikey gets up and walks into the bathroom. He pulls his condom off, tossing it in the trash, before grabbing one of the washcloths from the bar next to the sink. He wets it, and stands there in the bathroom washing Pete’s cum off of his stomach. When he walks back out, Pete has a band-aid on his shoulder and his neck, and is wrapped in the comforter. Gabe is spread out on the bed next to him, his jeans on, but still shirtless. Mikey picks his jeans up from the floor, pulling them on, and does the same with his shirt. 

Pete looks at him, all big whiskey-colored eyes and bitten lips. “The minibar stuff is expensive,” He whines. “Will you get me a coke and a snickers from the vending machines in the lobby? You’re the only one fully dressed.” 

“Sure.” Mikey responds. “Be right back.”

Mikey backs out of the door and makes his way to the lobby. When he ducks inside, the blonde kid from earlier is leaning against the counter, talking to the receptionist. He goes quiet when he sees Mikey, and follows him to the vending machines, watching as Mikey feeds $3 into it to get Pete’s food.

“You and your maker didn’t fuck him up too bad, did you?” The kid growls in a low voice. Like, actually growls. It takes Mikey aback. 

“He’s fine,” Mikey responds softly, bending down to grab the candy and the bottle of soda. “We didn’t do anything he didn’t want. And Gabe’s not my maker. He’s just a friend.” Mikey heads back out the door to the room, the kid following him. 

“Thats bullshit.” The kid growls out. “You two smell exactly the same.” 

Mikey stops dead and stares at the kid, who stares at him right back. When a car passes by, his eyes reflect the light. Mikey takes a deep breath. The kid doesn’t smell like the same sugary mix humans do. He smells like pine needles and campfire smoke. If the month of being an undead creature of the night has taught him anything, it’s that a lot of the stereotypes from the horror movies are pretty accurate. “You’re a werewolf.” Mikey says, a little stunned. 

“No shit.” The kid says. “Did your maker not tell you?” 

“Gabe’s not my maker.” Mikey repeats, as he starts walking again. 

“Sure,” The kid says sarcastically, “and you didn’t take Pete back to use him like a fuckable capri-sun. How naive do you think I am?” 

Mikey opens the hotel door before responding, Gabe and Pete both perking up as they walk in. “He’s not! My maker abandoned me and Gabe took me under his wing, is all.” 

The kid snorts. “Whatever you say, dude.” He grabs the food from Mikey’s hands and takes it to Pete, who accepts it gratefully. “You alright?”

Pete huffs a laugh. “I’m fine, Joe. Nothing happened that I didn’t want to happen. You gotta stop mother henning.” 

The kid - Joe - sighs. “I’m sorry. You know I can’t help it.” 

Pete smiles at him and pats his head. “I know, and I love you for it.” Oh, Mikey thinks. Wolf. Pack. Pete must be, at least to some extent, part of the kid’s pack. It makes sense why he was so suspicious of them now. 

Gabe stands up and pulls his shirt on. “I think we better leave.” Mikey agrees, feeling like he’s intruding on an intimate moment. 

“Hey,” Pete says, and tosses his phone at Gabe. “Give me your number. We should get together and talk music sometime. You too.” He says, gesturing at Mikey. He sticks his number in Pete’s phone under “mikeyfuckinway” and hands it back to Pete. Gabe is already out the door when Mikey turns to leave. 

Gabe is sitting in the car already by the time Mikey makes it back to the venue parking lot. He’s frowning at the steering wheel. When Mikey clicks his seatbelt on, Gabe pulls out, uncharacteristically quiet. 

Mikey turns to face him. “What’s up?” He asks, worried. “You kind of bailed there at the end. I would have walked back with you if you waited. Is everything okay?” 

Gabe keeps his gaze steady on the road. “He’s right.” He says, softly. 

“Who?” Mikey asks, confused. 

“Joe.” Gabe says, in the same soft voice. “He’s right. I am your maker. I turned you into a vampire. On accident.” 

Mikey blinks, stunned. “What?”

Gabe’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, and he sighs. “I let myself go too long without feeding, the night that you got turned. I turned you. Fuck. You were drunk and fell outside the venue while I was trying to calm myself down outside. You skinned your elbow. It was enough blood to set me over the edge. I attacked you, and I thought I killed you. Obviously not, though. I left your body behind the venue. When I saw you at that show, all vamped out, it freaked me the fuck out. But you were my responsibility now. That's why I invited you and Gerard backstage.” Gabe’s voice is shaking by the time he finishes talking. 

Mikey slumps back in his seat. “What the fuck, Gabe? What the fuck!”

Gabe lets out a shaky sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

Mikey feels his eyes prickle as he gazes at his lap. “I’m not mad that I’m a vampire,” he says, his voice trembling. “I’m not mad that you left me, either. You didn’t know that I wasn’t dead, and I didn’t know you were supposed to take care of me. I’m mad you didn’t tell me that you made me sooner.”

“I’m sorry,” Gabe repeats. “I really didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t think I was ready for that kind of responsibility, taking on a fledgeling.”

Mikey sucks in a sharp breath. “Is that all this is? A responsibility? Is that all I am to you?”

Gabe pulls into the Way’s driveway, and turns to look at Mikey. Mikey’s eyes are wet. “Oh God, Mikey, No! Never in a million years would I think that.” Gabe says softly. When Mikey looks at him, his eyes are intense, staring into Mikey’s soul. “You’re not just a responsibility. You never were. I’m responsible for you, yes, making sure you know everything you need to know, but I’m not gonna fuck off like most makers do when you’re not a fledgling anymore, okay? I love you.”

Mikey doesn’t meet Gabe's eyes. “Okay.” He says, as he gets out of the car. “Go home, Gabe. Back to your apartment or whatever. I just. I need some time.” Gabe sucks in a deep breath. 

“Okay.” His voice is shaking something fierce. “Call me, okay?”

“I will.” Mikey murmurs. “Promise.” 

Gabe puts the car in reverse and backs out of the driveway, Mikey watching him go, his headlights cutting through the dark of the early morning. He slinks in, and makes his way downstairs. Gerard isn’t in the basement when Mikey gets down there, but a sticky note left on his bed tells him that Gerard left to go see a friend from school. There's also a doodle of Nosferatu, which makes Mikey grin, despite how many emotions are swirling in his chest. He kicks off his shoes and collapses on Gerard’s bed, not wanting to deal with the pullout that smells like Gabe, and forces his eyes shut. 

X 

Mikey is still awake when Gerard gets home, fluttering down the stairs with his jacket open, blustering behind him like a cape. He flops onto his bed, his head hitting the pillow next to Mikey’s. “Where's Gabe?”

Mikey sighs, long and heavy, before answering. “He went back to his place,” His voice is muffled from where his face is shoved into the pillow. “We got into a fight. Sort of. I don’t really know.” 

“Shit, Mikes. What happened? Are you okay?” Gerard asks, his voice slurring a bit, but thick with concern.

Mikey takes a deep breath before answering, twisting his head to look at his brother. Gerard smells like Fleischmann’s and pot, with a steady undercurrent of the same sugary sweet smell he always has. It's comforting, in a way. “He told me that he was the one who turned me. On accident. Then he told me that he loves me.” 

“Shit,” Gerard breathes out. His eyes are wide in the dim light of the basement. “Thats fuckin, thats a whole lot. Do you love him?”

Mikey blinks. “Did you miss the part where I said he was the one that turned me? Made me an undead creature of the night?” 

“You were already kind of a creature of the night before Gabe came along, Mikes.” Gerard responds. “You didn’t really care who turned you before, anyways. I don’t see why it should matter so much now.”

“Because it was Gabe!” Mikey exclaims, incredulous. “He didn’t tell me because he didn’t feel like he was “ready for the responsibility” of taking on a baby vamp, but he’s been basically babysitting me through all of our feeds. Don’t you think that's a little fucked up?” 

“I don’t think you’re just a responsibility to him, dude.” Gerard argues. “He’s been sleeping here for like, a month, following you like a puppy around the house and to shows, and you two have been sharing a bed, for fucks sake. I think he would have told you eventually. He probably didn’t say anything right now because he wanted you to realize you were more than a chore to him, and he couldn't get that point across before he was done “training you” with the vamp shit. Or whatever.” 

Mikey doesn’t respond. Gerard has a point, he thinks, but it could have been avoided completely if Gabe had just told him at the Midtown show, Mikey thinks bitterly. Whatever, can’t change the past. His emotions are still running in high, indecipherable swirls of resentment and sadness tinged with what Mikey thinks might be real, actual love. When he turns to talk to Gerard again, his eyes are closed and his mouth is hanging open, drooling onto the pillow. Mikey shifts his whole body into a fetal position, pressing his forehead against Gerard’s throat, curling up like they did when they were kids and a thunderstorm was raging outside. The only storm today is the one brewing in Mikey’s brain, though. He doesn’t sleep, spending the sunny hours of the day curled next to his brother, listening to his soft snores and steady heartbeat. He carefully doesn’t think about Gabe. 

Mikey doesn’t know how long he lays there like that, but the sun has gone down again when he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. Fuck. He gets up carefully, not wanting to wake Gerard, and walks into the bathroom, closing the door to muffle the sound. 

“‘Lo?” He says, his voice a little rusty from lack of use.

“Mikeyfuckinway!” The voice on the other end exclaims. It’s Pete, not Gabe, and Mikey doesn’t know if he’s relieved or disappointed. 

“Hey Pete,” He sighs out. “What’s up?”

“Our van broke down, and Tim won’t fucking admit he’s not a mechanic and take it to a real shop, so we’re stuck in Jersey for the next few days.” Pete says. “The two of you kinda did a hit and run at the end there last night. I think you should come take me and Joey-boy here out to dinner to make up for it.” 

Despite everything, it makes Mikey huff a laugh. “You know I don’t eat real food, right?” 

“I know that!” Pete responds, mock-offended. “But you do know the best shitty diners around here. I’d think, anyways. Pick us up in 15?”

Oh why not, Mikey thinks. It’ll keep his mind off of Gabe, at the least. “Sure. See you.”

“Yes!” Pete shouts. “I totally thought that wasn’t gonna work. Bye!” Pete hangs up the phone with an exaggerated kissing noise. 

Mikey shoves his shoes on, leaving a note for Gerard under his from last night. He takes Gerard’s car, backing out slowly before heading to the motel they were at last night. He listens to the radio for a bit, but has to turn it off when If I Could Turn Back Time comes on. Some cruel god out there is fucking with him, Mikey thinks. He’s sure of it. 

Pete and Joe are standing in the parking lot when Mikey pulls up, having what seems to be a very animated conversation. When Pete yanks open the door he’s still talking. “No, dude, fuck you, Han wouldn’t have shot without due cause in that situation. Greedo totally shot first. Mikey, back me up here.”

“I think you’re giving too much credit to Han’s morals,” Mikey says as Joe slides into the seat behind Pete. “He was essentially Doc Holiday, but from space. I think it’s more likely he shot first.” 

Pete gapes at him, and Joe laughs from the backseat. “I told you!” He snorts. “Mikey, I think you and I are gonna end up getting along just fine.” 

Pete rolls his eyes. “Where’s Gabe?” He asks, as Mikey pulls out of the parking lot.

Mikey tenses, and shrugs. “Dunno. I’m not his fuckin’ keeper.” 

“Did you guys get into a fight or something?” Pete asks. Before Mikey can answer, though, Joe jabs Pete in the back of the head with his finger through the gap between the seat and the headrest. “What?” He turns around to ask Joe, who gives him a pointed look. “Oh. Nevermind. Where we goin?” 

“There's a little 24 hour place about a mile from my house. Figured we would go there.” Mikey responds quietly. 

“It’s not a Denny’s, is it?” Joe pipes up from the back seat. “Because last time I was there the burger I got looked like a hockey puck.”

“Nah,” Mikey says. “It’s a little Mom and Pop place. They have good pancakes.”

“Oh hell yeah,” Pete remarks. “That’s the good shit.”

The rest of the drive passes in comfortable silence, and when they get there, the little parking lot is pretty abandoned for 11pm. Pete hops out and bounces to the curb before Mikey even turns the engine off, Joe following him close behind.

“Lead the way!” Pete says, extending his arm in a flowery gesture. Mikey snorts, and pulls the door open. A little bell tinkles above them as they walk in, Mikey blinking in the bright lights, because fuck, they burn his eyes. He slides into a booth, Pete and Joe sliding into the other side. 

An older woman in a faded blue dress with a lavender apron wrapped around her middle makes her way over to their table. She smells like stale cigarette smoke and begonias. Her name tag reads “Pamela”. Joe sneezes when she stops, most likely picking up on the smell of smoke and flowers too, Mikey thinks. 

“What can I get for you boys?” She asks, her voice heavy with her accent. 

“I’d like your best pancakes” Pete says, giving her a wide smile. “And a Coke.” 

“Can I get a burger? Rare?” Joe asks. She nods, and writes their orders down on her little notepad.

“What about you, sweetie?” She asks, turning to look at Mikey.

Mikey blinks. “A cinnamon roll and a coffee, to-go, please.” He says softly. He’ll give them to Gerard when he gets home.

“Okay darlings. I’ll have those right out.” Mikey gives her a closed lip smile as she leaves.

As soon as she’s out of earshot, Joe looks Mikey dead in the eye. “I thought you couldn't eat human food?” 

“I can’t.” Mikey says. “But it would have been weird if I didn’t order anything. I’ll give them to my brother when I get home.” 

“You have a brother?” Pete asks, fidgeting with the box of sugar packets on the table. “What’s his name? What’s he like?”

“His name is Gerard,” Mikey says. “He’s really cool, in a nerdy way. He’s a great artist.” The conversation progresses easily from there. Pete talks a lot, about his siblings and about school, about how he’s studying to be a lawyer because his dad wants him too. He’s a good storyteller. 

When their food arrives, Joe’s burger is so pink it almost looks raw. Mikey eyes it warily, before looking at Joe.

“I know, man. Part of me wants it fully done, but the other part says I shouldn't eat it because it's not still twitching.” Joe says, softly. “The full moon is next week. It’s messing with me a bit.” Mikey gets it. Instinct is a bitch sometimes, especially now. He watches as Pete pours a copious amount of syrup on his plate of pancakes. Mikey regales them with stories from shows and the Jersey scene as they eat, carefully avoiding the ones that involve Gabe. When they get up to leave, Mikey takes his to-go food and leaves a $20 on the table. 

They were only in the diner for about an hour, but it feels like longer. “You guys wanna come back to mine? We’ve got a playstation in the basement, you two can take turns letting me kick your asses at Tekken.” Mikey asks as they load back into the car. 

“Those are bold words, Mikeyway” Pete says, as Mikey pulls out of the lot. “I’ll have you know that I am a fucking champ at Tekken.” 

The short drive back to the Way’s is spent in a deep conversation between the three of them about whether or Heihachi or Jin was better. When they get back to the house though, Mikey can tell something is wrong. The smell of blood is coming from the basement.

“Gerard?” Mikey says, worried, as he races down the stairs, Pete and Joe following close him. When he gets to the bottom, he drops the takeout coffee all over the floor.

Gerard isn’t there, and the basement has been ransacked. The pullout couch is flipped over, the TV is on the ground, the bathroom door is off its hinges, and Gerard’s bed is covered in blood. When Mikey scans the room, he spots the basement window, uncovered and smashed in.

“Oh god.” Pete says from behind him, horrified. “What the fuck happened?” 

Mikey is shaking, full body tremors that make him rattle like a leaf in the wind. “I don’t know. Gerard is gone. Oh my god.” 

Joe moves to the bed. “There was another vampire here. Not you or Gabe. They smell a lot like you, though.” 

Fuck. Despite his feelings right now, Mikey needs to call Gabe. He pulls out his phone, letting the contact auto-dial. Gabe picks up on the first ring.

“Mikey, hey.” He says softly. “How are you?”

“Gerard is missing.” Mikey says, his voice trembling. “I went out with Pete and Joe, and when I got back the basement was wrecked. Joe says that there was another vampire here.” 

“Stay right there. I’ll be there in 10.” Gabe says, his voice panicked. 

When Gabe shows up, running down the basement stairs 2 at a time, Mikey is sitting on the edge of Gerard’s bed, his head between his knees, Pete’s arm slung over his shoulders. Joe is still poking around the room, trying to find anything he can.

“Oh my god.” Gabe says, surveying the carnage. “Do you have any ideas of who would want to hurt him?”

Mikey looks up and shakes his head. Gerard was weird, yes, but never enough to warrant something like this.

“There's a scent trail that goes out the window.” Joe says, jumping off the dresser from where he was standing to look outside. “I think I can follow it. It might give us an idea or two about what happened.” 

“What the fuck are we sitting in here for, then?” Mikey says. “Lets go! Gerard could be dead for all we know!”

The four of them clamber up the stairs, Joe in the lead, with Gabe and Mikey behind him, and Pete at the rear. Joe leads them to the side yard where the small window is, then down to the sidewalk and to the left. They only walk about five minutes before Joe stops. 

“It leads in there” He says, pointing to the run-down bungalow across the street. 

“Oh fuck.” Mikey says softly. “That’s Ken’s house. Or was. The guy I killed and dumped in that dump. Shit.” 

“Mikes,” Gabe says. “I don’t think you killed him. I think you turned him. On accident.” Mikey looks at Gabe, whose eyes are shining with worry.

“Yeah.” Mikey says. Fuck. This just got so much worse. 

“Everyone get behind me.” Gabe says, as they cross the street. 

The front door is locked when Gabe reaches to rattle the knob. Gabe puts his foot next to the frame, leans in, and shoulder checks the door. It busts open with a bang, splinters from the frame going everywhere. When they get in the house, Mikey gags. It smells like old blood and decay. 

“Holy fuck.” Pete whispers, pointing at the couch in the living room. 

Holy fuck is right. On the couch is Ken’s wife, her throat ripped out completely. The couch is covered in coagulated blood, and her body is decaying. She’s been there a while. Suddenly, there's a bang and a groan from the back of the house.

Gabe puts his finger over his lips silently, shushing them. They move in a single file line down the hallway, Gabe leading and Joe in the rear. When they reach the back bedroom, the smell of blood and decay is overpowering. The door is cracked open, and Mikey moves around Gabe to peer inside. 

There is a pile of seven bodies in the corner, all in various stages of decomposition. Mikey recognizes some of the faces - they’re the missing people from the news. More importantly, however, is Gerard, who is slumped like a ragdoll in a wooden chair. His hair is hanging heavy in his face, and his pale skin is covered in blood. Mikey can’t hear his heartbeat. Fuck. 

“I was wondering when you were gonna show up, you little coward!” A voice booms suddenly. Ken is standing in the other corner of the room, looking dead at Mikey. He’s completely vamped out, eyes black and fangs flashing. Before Mikey has a chance to react, Ken crosses the room in a flash, grabbing Mikey by the neck and dragging him into the room, throwing him on the floor at Gerard’s limp feet. 

“Not so cocky now that you’re not the strong one, huh?” Ken taunts. He raises his fist and hits Mikey square in the face. Mikey feels his nose shatter. Fuck, it hurts. Ken raises his fist again, but before he can throw another hit, He’s being tackled to the ground by Joe. Ken roars in outrage, throwing Joe off into the wall so hard that it makes a hole. Mikey hears a crack, but Joe is able to stand back up. Thank god for supernatural healing. 

“Oh you brought a little friend!” Ken mocks. “Guess I’m just gonna have to kill both of you!” He turns to Joe, who dodges a hit. Mikey scrambles to his feet, his nose repairing itself as Gabe slinks into the room. Ken has his back turned when Gabe jumps on it. Ken is stocky, but Gabe is eight inches taller than him, and it causes him to lose his balance. 

“Joe!” Gabe yells, riding on an outraged Ken’s back like a mechanical bull. “Get Pete out of here!” Ken roars and throws Gabe to the floor as Joe nods, running out of the room. Gabe grunts as his head cracks against the ground. 

The sound makes Mikey sick to his stomach. Ken goes to grab Gabe as Mikey turns to the nightstand in the room. He grabs the heavy lamp, and hits Ken in the spine with it, right where Mikey broke his back stuffing him into the storage container. Ken screams and falls to the ground next to Gabe, and Mikey kicks him in the side. Ken grabs his leg, intent on pulling Mikey down, but before he can, Gabe sticks his hand under the bed in the room, snapping one of the wooden slats off of the boxspring. He twists, and jams the ragged, broken edge through Ken’s chest. Ken bellows, loud and angry, before going still.

“Is he really dead this time?” Mikey asks, panting. 

“Yes. Yeah.” Gabe says. His voice sounds strained as Mikey helps him to his feet. “Hey.”

Mikey grabs Gabe’s collar, pulling him down so he can kiss him. It startles Gabe for a second, but he melts into it, moving his hands so he can cup Mikey’s face with them. Mikey pulls away with a popping noise. 

“I love you, you fucking asshole.” Mikey says in a whisper, breathless, because he does. No matter how many things Gabe did he didn’t understand, Gabe getting his skull cracked for him was one Mikey did. Gabe smiled then, soft and private, his eyes glittering. He opened up his mouth to respond, but before he could, a small voice came from the other corner of the room.

“Mikey?” Gerard whispered, peering through his hair. “Mikey, is that you?”

Mikey whirls around and runs to Gerard, kneeling next to the chair he's slumped over in. “Yeah Gee, it’s me.” Mikey responds, reaching up to brush Gerard’s hair out of his face.

“Mikey.” Gerard says, his pupils so big they’re turning his eyes black, blue veins criss-crossing across his face. Mikey can see the glimmer-gleam of fangs when Gerard opens his mouth again. “Mikey, it hurts. I’m so thirsty.”

EPILOGUE

“So just, anyone with a black ribbon?” Gerard says skeptically. “And I count to four-hundred and I’m good?” It had been a week since the incident at Ken’s. Pete and Joe had called Mikey yesterday, telling him that Arma was playing another show because the van still wasn’t working and they needed the money to take it to a real mechanic. Gerard was adjusting fast to his newfound undeadness, the transition easier for him since he had his brother to help guide him.

“Yeah,” Gabe says, resting his chin on Mikey’s head, draping his arms around his shoulders. “It’s pretty simple. Usually there's the whole fucking thing, too.” 

“I’m aware.” Gerard responds dryly. “I do not want to discuss that with you, however, considering who you’re taking with you to do the fucking.”

Mikey snorts. “You’re just jealous this part comes easy to me.”

“Something comes easy.” Gabe says with a smirk. 

The glare Gerard gives him at that is lethal. Before he can say anything, though, something catches his eye. There's a guy with a horrible shade of orange bleached hair, leaning against the bar, with a black ribbon wrapped around his neck. It criss-crosses over a scorpion tattoo. 

“Ooh, someone’s found something!” Gabe singsongs as Gerard leaves to talk to the guy. He turns and flips them off before he reaches the bar. Mikey leans back against Gabe, forcing him to lean against the wall. Gabe grunts, and then tightens his hold on Mikey’s shoulders. Later, they’ll find someone too. Right now though, Mikey is enjoying being held, watching Pete scream on stage. Gabe dips his head down to whisper in Mikey’s ear. “Love you.” 

Mikey tilts his head back against Gabe’s shoulder and smiles. “I know.” Gabe snorts. Mikey smiles wider. 

“Nerd.” Gabe says.

“Your nerd.” Mikey responds.

“Yeah, you are.” Gabe squeezes him tighter, and kisses the side of his head. Mikey smiles again. This whole undead thing does have some perks. 

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> Well! This took me what feels like a really long time to finish. The lack of both vamp!Mikey and gabekey fic is disappointing, so this is my attempt to remedy that. Shoutout to abc for betaing and dealing with my ramblings while I figured out the plot, you're amazing.


End file.
